Pat Metheny

One of the most original guitarists from the '80s onward (he is instantly recognizable), Pat Metheny is a chance-taking player who has gained great popularity but also taken some wild left turns. His records with the Pat Metheny Group are difficult to describe (folk-jazz? mood music?) but manage to be both accessible and original, stretching the boundaries of jazz and making Metheny famous enough that he could perform whatever type of music he wanted without losing his audience.

Metheny (whose older brother is the trumpeter Mike Metheny) started on guitar when he was 13. His talent developed quickly; he taught at both the University of Miami and Berklee while he was a teenager, and made his recording debut with Paul Bley and Jaco Pastorius in 1974. He spent an important period (1974-1977) with Gary Burton's group, met keyboardist Lyle Mays, and in 1978 formed his group, which originally featured Mays, bassist Mark Egan, and drummer Dan Gottlieb. Within a short period he was ECM's top artist and one of the most popular of all jazzmen, selling out stadiums. Metheny mostly avoided playing predictable music, and his freelance projects were always quite interesting. His 1980 album 80/81 featured Dewey Redman and Mike Brecker in a post-bop quintet; he teamed up with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins on a trio date in 1983; and two years later recorded the very outside Song X with Ornette Coleman. Metheny's other projects away from the group have included a sideman recording with Sonny Rollins; a 1990 tour with Herbie Hancock in a quartet; a trio album with Dave Holland and Roy Haynes, and a collaboration (and tour) with Joshua Redman.

Although his 1994 recording Zero Tolerance for Silence baffled his audience, Metheny retained his popularity as a consistently creative performer. In addition to recording for ECM, he has appeared as a leader on the Geffen, Warner Bros., and Nonesuch labels. Metheny has remained active in the 21st century, releasing Speaking of Now in 2002, the acoustic solo album One Quiet Night in 2003, Way Up in 2005, and Metheny Mehldau in 2006. Metheny and pianist Brad Mehldau returned to the studio the following year for Quartet. Metheny released the trio album Day Trip in 2008. Orchestrion, which featured a solo Metheny playing several acoustic instruments designed and built for him by Eric Singer, appeared from Nonesuch early in 2010. Metheny released What's It All About in June of 2011, his second solo acoustic guitar recording. Unlike any other entry in his large catalog, the set was comprised entirely of covers of pop songs by contemporary songwriters (from Paul Simon and Lennon and McCartney to Antonio Carlos Jobim, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David) who have continued to hold meaning for him throughout his career.

Metheny released Unity Band with saxophonist Chris Potter, drummer Antonio Sanchez, and bassist Ben Williams in June of 2012. In August the promised live The Orchestrion Project was released; it was a CD and DVD document of the one-man tour with the symphonic machine in 2010-2011. The guitarist made a compelling and independent left turn in the spring of 2013 in performing the work of composer John Zorn on Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 20 on the Tzadik (owned by the composer) and Nonesuch labels simultaneously. Metheny's Unity Group continued to tour, and in 2013 reentered the studio. Kin, their second offering, was released in February of 2014. ~ Scott Yanow & Thom Jurek, Rovi

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’79 - smallish theatre bar in Atlanta waiting for the show to start. Stage hand comes out, skinny, longhaired dude in a sweatshirt, adjusts the drums, Lyle’s keyboards, tunes Pat’s guitar-nobody notices. Quietly he starts playing the guitar, house quiets down -opening act? Guy's all over the guitar and the audience is WTF? Then - it’s Pat! One by one the band comes out and joins in - a little symphony. Still my all-time favorite jazz artist. Never thought I’d believe in magical aliens.

I owe Pat so much! I have always loved his music, so when, In 1988, I was give an chance to set up chairs at a show, I jumped!. After finishing, I approached the head of his road crew, asking if I could be of service. They put me to work, even offering me as touring drum tech. From that experience I gained a foot in the door, and worked it into a career with the NYC stagehands union. I've seen 1000s of concerts in my 20 plus year career, but Pat Metheny tops them all! Thanks, Joedrumteck :)

I first heard of Pat Metheny , when a local AM station played AS FALLS WICHITA....then saw the tour . I do miss the PMG days . . saw them this year in Ann Arbor. they aren't the PMG. I've seen every show the pmg ever played in michigan sometimes the same show twice 1 in summer 1 in the fall. He continues to astound me at every turn. A person talking to a friend as we came out of Orchestrion concert sums it up nicely I don't know what i just saw but it was F***** amazing , always is

Been listening to.matheny for at least 20 years, he just keeps getting better.

8 months ago

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bob55148

First heard PM music in the early 80's san Lorenzo was the cut I heard.So I decided to go to the Greek theater in Berkeley ca 3 row dead center. Pat play's with so much intention in a purple haze in the moment along with his pal Lyle Mays they play such beautiful music I was taken to such emotions of joy uplifting mind bending clear spiritual highs that to this day I play his music and never lose the creative genius that both pat and lyle areAnd the joy they bring THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR

A friend of mine from NYC who was living in the same apartment building in San Francisco turned me on to Metheny in 77. He would come to that great venue in SF The Great American Music Hall, at least twice a yr. He was/ is special. My most memorable was the time Michael Hedges opened for him, Pat was also amazing of course! I will never forget him in 78?, playing " Louie, Louie" then laughing saying, " Don't tell anyone about that, we're a jazz band" !

I'm with you Still Life was my first. Probably bought it five times, kept wearing it out before digital music. Still love to open the roof on the car and ride around on a nice evening and pretend I am at a Pat concert. Never miss him when he is close.

I just recently discovered some of the PMG's work like Letter from Home and Still Life (Talking). On my way home from work one day, I was blasting Every Summer Night on my radio. While at a red light, two ladies were walking and approached my car window. They said they love the Pat Metheny Group and told me to turn it up!!

10 months ago

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faulkmd6

I first heard Pat at friends house in the early 80s. I was hooked immediately and have seen him at least 5 times. I also had the fun of meeting the band, sans Pat, in Munich in the 90s the morning after one of their concerts there. Still Life Talking may still be my favorite, but what a great body of work. If I was moving to another planet and could take only one artists work it would be Methany's.

11 months ago

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wlynnsargent

I've had the privilege (a term I do not use lightly) of seeing Pat in concert a couple of times now... first with his trio (McBride/Sanchez), and recently with the Unity tour. In both cases, the best term that I can find to describe the experience is spiritual. He may not play soul music as we commonly refer to it, but his talent and expression will definitely reach into your soul and pull you into the experience. IMHO, he is definitely one of the greatest talents of our age.

11 months ago

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wlynnsargent

I've had the privilege (a term I do not use lightly) of seeing Pat in concert a couple of times now... first with his trio (McBride/Sanchez), and recently with the Unity tour. In both cases, the best term that I can find to describe the experience is spiritual. He may not play soul music as we commonly refer to it, but it his talent and expression will definitely reach into your soul and pull you into the experience. IMHO, he is definitely one of the greatest talents of our age.

When I read that someone took up the guitar at 13 and has so much talent that he was teaching guitar at Berklee while still a teenager, it makes me want to go home and burn my guitar, which I struggle mightily to play. YARGH!!!!. Ah well, I bet Pat isn't as good a mountain biker as I am.

I saw the group in concert at the Fox theater in Atlanta Ga. . I can't to this day describe the feeling I had as I listened to some of the greatest music I have ever experienced in my life . The second greatest thing about that concert , was they performed for much more then two hours . It's an experience that every music lover must have . I would very much to get them here , Atlantic City . It would bring a genre of music to a otherwise music deprived city , outside of the casinos .

The Unity Group was to perform at the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC on Feb.12, 2014. I had front row seats. But that was the night of our little ice and snow blizzard. The group made it to the theater. We had to walk to the theater because the roads were impassable. They decided to cancel the concert around the time we arrived because only about 100 people showed. Pat sat down and played about 15 mins of solo acoustic for those who made it.